One moment Monday morning, a Ukrainian flag still was flying over a military base in Ukraine's Crimea region -- the base's commander reportedly kidnapped by pro-Russian troops the day before.

Later Monday, masked troops were at the base, and the Ukrainian flag was gone.

The bloodless incursion by apparently pro-Russian forces onto the Ukrainian base in the city of Bakhchisaray -- amid disputed accounts over whether the base commander had switched sides -- was one of the latest encounters between pro-Moscow troops who are consolidating their hold on the Black Sea peninsula and Ukrainian forces who still are there.

The incident at the base came a day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel bluntly told Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone the Moscow-backed referendum on whether Crimea should join Russia is illegal and would violate Ukraine's constitution if it goes ahead on March 16.

Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol, Crimea, on March 25.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian militia members remove a local resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. Following its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19.

Crisis in Ukraine – A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17.

Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine, during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 16.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A child casts her mother's ballot March 16 while holding a Russian flag at a polling station in Simferopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier, with the Russian flag behind him, mans a machine gun outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on Saturday, March 15.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier guards the perimeter outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 15.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian flags wave in front of a monument dedicated to Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin during a pro-Russia rally in Simferopol's Lenin Square on March 15.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Evgenyi Batyukhov cries March 14 at the site where pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists clashed the night before in Donetsk, Ukraine.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A line of policemen stand in front of a bus of pro-Ukrainian activists as pro-Russian supporters confront them during a rally in Donetsk on Thursday, March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian supporters clash with pro-Ukrainian activists in Donetsk on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Recent Academy Award winner Jared Leto walks through Independence Square in Kiev on March 13. During his Oscars acceptance speech in early March, the actor spoke to protesters in Ukraine and Venezuela saying, "We're thinking of you tonight."

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Crisis in Ukraine – A member of a pro-Russian self-defense unit checks a polling station near Simferopol on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian soldier looks out of the window of a regional military building with a poster reading "Ukraine's armed forces wait for you!" in Donetsk on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – An armed Cossack stands guard at a checkpoint on the road from Simferopol to Sevastopol on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier speaks to a truck driver outside the Ukrainian infantry base in Perevalne on Wednesday, March 12.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Cossacks stand guard at Crimea's regional parliament building in Simferopol on March 12.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers are seen aboard the Ukrainian ship Slavutych in the harbor of Sevastopol on Tuesday, March 11.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian naval officers board a boat in front of the Russian minesweeper Turbinist in Sevastopol's harbor on March 11.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People shout slogans during a pro-Russia rally in Donetsk on Sunday, March 9.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian police detain a demonstrator during a pro-Russian rally in Donetsk on March 9.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia protesters remove a Ukrainian flag from a flagpole taken from a government building in Donetsk on March 9.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Cossacks and other pro-Russian forces stand guard outside a government building in Simferopol on Saturday, March 8.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers load armored personnel carriers into boxcars in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 8.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men believed to be Russian military march in a village outside Simferopol on Friday, March 7.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia protesters demonstrate outside the Belbek air base, near Sevastopol, on Thursday, March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian navy officer looks at the scuttled, decommissioned Russian vessel Ochakov from the Black Sea shore outside the town of Myrnyi, Ukraine, on March 6. Russian naval personnel scuttled the ship, blockading access for five Ukrainian naval vessels.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A member of the Russian military patrols around Perevalne on March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Servicemen guard a checkpoint at a Ukrainian navy base in Perevalne on March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops guard the Belbek air base on March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman walks past barricades March 6 that were set up by anti-government protesters in Kiev's Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A sailor guards the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych in the Bay of Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People wait in line for food distribution in Independence Square on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian sailors carry meat to their vessel in the Sevastopol harbor on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Riot police stand at the entrance of a regional administrative building during a rally in Donetsk on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian police officer gives instructions to members of the media in front of the business class lounge of the Simferopol airport on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators wave a Russian flag after storming a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators break a police barrier as they storm a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian military recruits line up to receive instructions in Kiev's Independence Square on Tuesday, March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People stand on the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych while it's at harbor in Sevastopol on March 4. Mattresses were placed over the side of the ship to hinder any attempted assault.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops watch as a Russian navy ship blocks the entrance of the Ukrainian navy base in Sevastopol on March 4.

Crisis in Ukraine – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, wearing a blue scarf, visits a shrine March 4 for the people who were killed in February during anti-government protests in Kiev.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Yuli Mamchun, the commander of the Ukrainian military garrison at the Belbek air base near Sevastopol, salutes on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers stand guard at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian military members march at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers fire warning shots to keep back Ukrainian military members at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian airman puts the Ukrainian national flag over the gate of the Belbek air base as they guard what's left under their control on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers aim a grenade launcher and machine gun as they guard positions at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian seamen stand guard on the Ukrainian navy ship Slavutych in the Sevastopol harbor on Monday, March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier, kisses his girlfriend, Svetlana, through the gates of the Belbek base entrance on March 3. Tensions are high at the base, where Ukrainian soldiers were standing guard inside the building while alleged Russian gunmen were standing guard outside the gates.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Wives of Ukrainian soldiers walk past Russian soldiers to visit their husbands guarding a military base in Perevalne on March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian soldier guards an area outside Ukraine's military base in the village of Perevalne on March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A sailor looks out a window near the entrance to the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men in military uniform walk outside a Ukrainian military unit near Simferopol on Sunday, March 2. Hundreds of armed men in trucks and armored vehicles surrounded the Ukrainian base Sunday in Crimea, blocking its soldiers from leaving.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers walk outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne as a local resident waves a Russian flag March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators shout during a rally in Kiev's Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers, left, and unidentified gunmen, right, stand at the gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers guard a gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman cries during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters hold flags of the United States, Germany and Italy during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People attend a morning prayer service at Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A soldier and a truck driver unload bread outside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Heavily armed troops, displaying no identifying insignia and who were mingling with local pro-Russian militants, stand guard outside a local government building in Simferopol on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman waits in front of unidentified men in military fatigues who were blocking a base of the Ukrainian frontier guard unit in Balaklava, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 1.

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Crisis in Ukraine – U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Oval Office of the White House, talks on the phone March 1 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Crisis in Ukraine – People gather around the coffin of a man who was killed during clashes with riot police in Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian activists hold Russian flags during a rally in the center of Donetsk on March 1.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian activists clash with Maidan supporters as they storm the regional government building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A protester stands at a memorial March 1 for the people killed in clashes at Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men patrol outside the Simferopol International Airport on Friday, February 28.

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Crisis in Ukraine – An image provided to CNN by a local resident shows Russian tanks on the move in Sevastopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian troops block a road February 28 toward the military airport in Sevastopol. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is based at the port city.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men stand guard in front of a building near the Simferopol airport on February 28.

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Crisis in Ukraine – An armed man wearing no identifying insignia patrols outside Simferopol International Airport on February 28.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Police stand guard outside the Crimea regional parliament building Thursday, February 27, in Simferopol. Armed men seized the regional government administration building and parliament in Crimea.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Police intervene as Russian supporters gather in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on February 27.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man adds fuel to a fire at a barricade in Independence Square on February 27. Dozens of people were killed during clashes between security forces and protesters.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators wave Russian and Crimean flags in front of a local government building in Simferopol on February 27.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Barricades in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27 hold a banner that reads: "Crimea Russia." There's a broad divide between those who support the pro-Western developments in Kiev and those who back Russia's continued influence in Crimea and across Ukraine.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters stand in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27. Tensions have simmered in the Crimea region since the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters in support of the president's ouster rally in Independence Square, which has been the center of opposition, on Wednesday, February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Security forces stand guard during clashes between opposing sides in front of Crimea's parliament building in Simferopol on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian demonstrators, right, clash with anti-Russian protesters in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A police officer gets pulled into a crowd of Crimean Tatars in Simferopol on February 26. The Tatars, an ethnic minority group deported during the Stalin era, rallied in support of Ukraine's interim government.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man places flowers at a barricade near Independence Square on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – On February 26 in Kiev, a woman holds a photograph of a protester killed during the height of tensions.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Police guard a government building in Donetsk on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters remove a fence that surrounds Ukraine's parliament in Kiev on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People sing the Ukrainian national anthem at Independence Square on Monday, February 24.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Gas masks used by protesters sit next to a barricade in Independence Square on February 24.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman cries February 24 near a memorial for the people killed in Kiev.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People wave a large Ukrainian flag in Independence Square on Sunday, February 23.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Two pro-government supporters are made to pray February 23 in front of a shrine to dead anti-government protesters.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man and his daughter lay flowers at a memorial for protesters killed in Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks at Independence Square on Saturday, February 22, hours after being released from prison. Tymoshenko, considered a hero of a 2004 revolution against Yanukovych, was released after 2½ years behind bars.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Tymoshenko is greeted by supporters shortly after being freed from prison in Kharkiv on February 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A protester guards the entrance to Yanukovych's abandoned residence outside Kiev on February 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Anti-government protesters guard the streets next to the presidential offices in Kiev on February 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Anti-government protesters drive a military vehicle in Independence Square on February 22. Many protesters said they wouldn't leave the square until Yanukovych resigned.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian lawmakers argue during a session of Parliament on Friday, February 21.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Men in Kiev carry a casket containing the body of a protester killed in clashes with police.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters cheer after news of an agreement between the opposing sides in Kiev on February 21.

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EXPAND GALLERY

Just Watched

Will Putin stop at Crimea?

Just Watched

Ukraine: 30,000 Russian troops in Crimea

Putin has defended breakaway moves by pro-Russian leaders in Crimea, where Russian forces have been tightening their grip on a region that has been the epicenter of a battle for influence among Moscow, Kiev and the West since Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's ouster last month.

Pro-Russian forces last week pushed into the autonomous region in a bloodless siege, prompting criticism from Western nations and Ukraine's interim government.

Moscow has denounced the events that led to Yanukovych's ouster as an illegitimate coup and has refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities, putting the two countries on a collision course over control of Crimea, which has longstanding ties to Russia and has thousands of Russian troops stationed there.

Putin has said Russia has the right to protect Russians living in the former Soviet republic.

As tensions mount, Ukraine's armed forces carried out training exercises to test their readiness, the country's Defense Ministry said. Citing televised comments made by Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh on Sunday, it said the army was not calling for full mobilization, as diplomacy was still the preferred method to resolve the crisis.

The Prime Minister of the autonomous region, Sergey Aksenev, was recently appointed commander-in-chief by the region's parliament, giving him the power to form an army, government spokeswoman Ekaterina Polonchuk told CNN.

Aksenev told the Interfax news agency that the decision to form a military stems from "the presence of illegal armed groups in the territory of Crimea," comments confirmed to CNN by Polonchuk. So far, it appears a small number of men have joined the new army.

Monday's appearance of masked troops at the Bakhchisaray base came a day after a pro-Russian group appeared to have kidnapped base commander Vladimir Sadovnik at a checkpoint, according to the Ukrainian military.

When a CNN crew visited the base Monday morning, the Ukrainian military was in charge, but Sadovnik still was missing. The deputy commander said that if "they to try blackmail us into giving up the base, it won't happen."

Three hours later, the crew returned to the base, and the Ukrainian flag was no longer flying there. Masked gunmen were on the property, looking at the crew from the other side of a fence.

The deputy commander told CNN said 15 gunmen came to the base with Sadovnik, and that the gunmen were planning to take vehicles from the base. CNN was not allowed inside.

What Sadovnik did upon his return is disputed. Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said Sadovnik had switched allegiance and persuaded some of the Ukrainian troops there to join him.

Sadovnik and the men who joined him loaded trucks with fuel, radios and other goods to take away from the base, according to Seleznyov.

But Sadovnik, talking later to CNN by phone, denied Seleznyov's account. He said his kidnappers allowed him to return to the base, and that he still was loyal to Ukraine.

He said pro-Russian forces did ask Ukrainian troops at the base to change sides Monday, but that he did no such thing. He said he still was at the base; CNN couldn't immediately verify his location.

The control of base wasn't immediately clear Monday. Seleznyov said both Ukrainian and Russian flags were flying at the base late Monday afternoon.

Putin earlier this month secured permission from his parliament to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine. The move came days after Yanukovych's flight from the country. Yanukovych was ousted after three months of protests against his decision to spurn a free trade deal with the European Union and turn toward closer ties with Moscow.

Are the Russians listening?

At the United Nations, French Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters the situation in Crimea "is worsening by the day." Russian troops are being reinforced and Moscow appears ready to annex the region, he said after a Security Council session Monday afternoon.

"(The session) was a call to the Russians: We want to negotiate. We want a political settlement. Please don't worsen this crisis," Araud said. But he added, "The Russians are not showing any signal that they are listening to us -- not only to the Security Council, but to all the heads of state and government."

And British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said no "free and fair" vote could be held "while Crimea is under the illegal control of Russian troops and armed militias who are denying access to international monitors."

"In the light of these concerns, if the referendum goes ahead on the 16th of March, its results must be considered illegal and illegitimate by all nations," Grant said.

Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said a group of about 20 pro-Russian activists from the so-called Crimea self-defense squads had broken into the military hospital in the region's main administrative city, Simferopol, and thrown out its chief.

In a later statement, it said the hospital chief was back at work after negotiations but added the premises were being blockaded by the activists.

However a CNN team that traveled to the hospital found it very quiet, with no one around. A guard on duty said he had not heard or seen anything unusual and that there was no senior official to speak with as Monday was a public holiday.

In the course of the rapidly changing events of the past week, a propaganda war over Ukraine has quickly developed as each side seeks to strengthen its stance.

Scenes of balaclava-wearing men without insignia patrolling streets or other premises have now become a familiar sight in the region.

Reports of confrontations weren't limited to Crimea. In the eastern mainland Ukrainian city of Lugansk, just a few kilometers west of the Russian border, 50 to 60 pro-Russian activists burst into an IRTA TV station building on Monday, editor-in-chief Katerina Rakova said.

The intruders initially threatened to burn the building if they weren't allowed to broadcast. But they eventually left, warning that they would return if they are dissatisfied with the station's news broadcasts about pro-Russian demonstrations in Lugansk, Rakova said.

Russia, meanwhile, accused far-right groups Monday of "conniving" with the new authorities in Ukraine.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned "lawlessness" in eastern Ukraine and accused the West of being silent over violence and detentions taking place against Russian citizens, such as one incident last week when it said masked gunmen fired on and injured peaceful protesters.

On Monday afternoon, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was "increasingly alarmed" by developments in Ukraine.

"Recent events in Crimea in particular have only served to deepen the crisis. As tensions and mistrust are growing, I urge all sides to refrain from hasty actions and provocative rhetoric," he said.